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Ways to make a difference October 23, 2013

Make a Difference Day

This Saturday is Make a Difference Day, who knew? Yes, I know its time for Halloween festivals and parties but wouldn’t it feel great to join in and lend a hand with your kids doing something that you care about?

Make a Difference Day is the largest national day of community service where millions of volunteers, from around the world, come together with the common goal of improving the lives of others. It is a day where neighbors help neighbors and people come together for projects that range from helping an individual, a community, a non-profit or even an entire state.

Over twenty years ago USA Weekend and Points of Light joined forces to create a day to show that anyone, regardless of age, location or resources can accomplish incredible things when they come together with a single purpose to improve the lives of others. If your not sure how to get started or need some ideas, just click here and take a look.

So, in addition to the pumpkin festivals, Halloween parties and fall football, think about getting together with your children, family, neighbors or community to Make a Difference. You will be so glad you did!

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Quotes October 18, 2013

Charity Matters Quotes

“Once you choose hope, anything’s possible.”

Christopher Reeve

In light of this week’s story on Inheritance of Hope, I found this quote a fitting follow up. I also loved that only a Superman could have blessed us with these beautiful words. I hope your weekend is wonderful.

Happy Friday!

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Inspiration October 14, 2013

Goodness is contagious

I received an email the other day from a lacrosse store that my youngest son loves called Adrenaline. The email just made my day and got me thinking about just how contagious goodness is. The note came from the lacrosse store owner, Ian and told the story of a 13-year-old boy, named Jack. Jack had been volunteering with his dad in a underserved part of town teaching lacrosse as a community service project, in association with his father’s company.

The father and son put on a lacrosse clinic for about 75 children. The equipment was donated to use during the clinic. The kids loved the sport and wanted to learn more and play, however did not have the financial resources to afford the equipment to do so.

Which brings us back to Jack, who now wants to provide equipment for all of these kids. So, Jack approached Ian and asked if he could put a used equipment collection box in his store, which of course he did. Here comes the contagious part. Ian was so inspired by this 13 year olds big heart that he then emailed the entire Southern California lacrosse community to ask if we could all help Jack out with his mission. He has now put collection boxes in all of the Adrenaline stores and at practice locations.

Goodness is so easy to catch and truly contagious. Sometimes we are so busy that we forget to stop and realize all the beautiful miracles around us each and every day. It is the simple acts of kindness for another. I hope what Jack is spreading is as contagious to you as it was to me, because this is something worth catching!

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Quotes October 11, 2013

Charity Matters quotes

“Life is a gift, and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to give something back, by becoming more.”

Anthony Robbins

Enjoy the gift, the privilege and simply imagine the possibilities of becoming more.

Charity Matters.

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Technology that Matters September 30, 2013

Swap Serve

As most of you know I am a big believer in volunteering. Simply giving any talent, skill or time you have to a cause you care about and expecting nothing in return….except the great feeling you get from giving.

Well, it seems all of that is about to change. There is a new game in town and its called Swap Serve. Swap Serve has a little different approach to volunteering. They are trying to align non-profits with volunteers. Here is what makes this different, in exchange for your time, local businesses reward you with free stuff, such as coffee, donuts, movie tickets, etc.

Here is how it works:

I’m not sure if this is the way of the future, a win-win or defeating the point of volunteering? Regardless, anything that gets people out helping one another is a success in my book. So check it out and see if Swap Serve has come to your town yet. Do me a favor, if they haven’t, just keep on giving your time. There is no greater gift to give.

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Inspiration September 13, 2013

When a hero comes along

So many non-profits came as a result of September 11th. The need to take the tragedy and turn it into something positive, happened over and over in the aftermath of that day. Many of the non-profits have gone by the wayside in the past twelve years, but there is one that is still going strong and that is HEART911.org

I always refer to non-profit founders as heroes but this founder is the real deal and he has the medals to prove it. His name is Bill Keegan and he was the Night Operations Commander of the World Trade Center Rescue/Recovery Teams. Bill was awarded the highest medal for the WTC 9/11 assault as well as the 1993 WTC Bombing Medal of Valor for his rescue of school children trapped in a stalled elevator; the Hanratty Medal of Valor and over fifty police duty medals.

What makes Bill a real hero, as if he wasn’t already, was his creation of the non-profit, HEART 9/11 (Healing Emergency Aid Response Team) which he founded in 2007. Heart 9/11 is a non-profit disaster response organization composed of police, fire, union construction workers, and 9/11 surviving families. Their belief is that we help ourselves by helping others. These volunteers help first responders and victims of disasters by transferring the hard-earned lessons they learned from the World Trade Center rescue/recovery mission. The Mission of HEART 9/11 is to alleviate the suffering of individuals and communities coping with disasters and related trauma, wherever it strikes in our world.

Today HEART 9/11 is over 530 members strong. These members were experienced by being victims (9/11), and as a result, understand the challenges in turning victims into survivors. HEART 9/11 continues to rebuild lives in three ways: emergency response to disaster stricken communities, facilitation of mental health and build housing for wounded returning veterans.

September 11th was a day we will never forget. The heroes and the ripples of kindness that resulted from loss, continue to inspire.

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Quotes August 26, 2013

Charity Matters Quotes

“Education’s purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one. “

Malcolm S. Forbes

Well, its official. Summer is over and its time to get back to the business of learning. Back to school just sounds depressing but learning, that is fun! Living is learning and the more we live, the more we give.

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Charity Matters Quotes August 23, 2013

Charity Matters Quotes

“There is something deep within us that sobs at endings. Why, God, does everything have to end? Why does all nature grow old? Why do spring and summer have to go?”

Joe Wheeler

Well its officially over for me. Summer ends this weekend and the boys are back in school on monday. Where it went….. I’m not really sure. What I do know is that those few precious weeks without structure, homework or stress were perfection.

I think I’m going to try a big dose of denial until after Labor Day and in the meantime enjoy my last beautiful summer weekend. Hope you enjoy yours too!

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Cancer August 21, 2013

Big moments in small packages

There are so many ways our lives touch others. It seems that the big moments that touch us often come from the littlest people. Last friday night my son’s football team had their first scrimmage. Lined up in crisp new uniforms were 86 big varsity high school football players and in the front of team stood a 9-year-old boy. The 9-year-old is our new team captain. His name is Jeffrey and he is teaching our football team about courage, toughness, perseverance, dedication and overcoming adversity.

Jeffrey knows about these traits because he has cancer. Less than two years ago, he was a typical 8-year-old boy who loved playing baseball and flag football and then everything changed. Jeffrey was diagnosed with DSRCT (Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumor), an extremely rare and aggressive cancer. In just over a year he has completed about a dozen rounds of chemotherapy, five surgeries, numerous procedures and five weeks of radiation therapy.

In honor of our mighty new captain, the team will wear Jeffrey’s initials on their helmets this season in honor of his courage and tenacity, as well as to bring much-needed attention to the lack of funding for pediatric cancer research. Jeffrey received the signed game ball and his very own football jersey with the number 11, that represents the date of his diagnosis, 11/11/11.

This little package has already showed our sons how to be strong, courageous, and to face adversity with a smile and can do attitude. Jeffery’s family has a web-site and the quote on the site reads, “Let your dreams be bigger than your fears, your actions louder than your words, and your faith stronger than your feelings.”

We have yet to play our first game but it is already a winning season.

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Quotes August 16, 2013

Charity Matters Quotes

“Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability.”

Sam Keen

I’m not sure what is worse, the end of summer or the countdown until the end. Either way, this glorious season is short and we have just begun to relax. So, take a moment to take care of yourself. You give so much to so many. Your time to give will be here before you know it.

So enjoy the respectability that comes with the laziness of summer because it won’t last long.

Happy Friday!

Charity Matters.

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Military August 12, 2013

Starfish Foundation

Last friday I was in Milwaukee. for my husband’s triathlon a city I have never been too before. In addition to wanting to check out the sights, some breweries, and of course, some inspiring people making a difference. My search lead me to an amazing lady named Patricia Clausson and the non-profit she founded, The Starfish Foundation.

Patricia grew up in a military family as a Sergeant Major’s daughter. So she already had an innate understanding as to the inner working of military families. At an impressionable age she lost a close friend to suicide in Vietnam and then shortly after her boyfriend to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) when he returned from Vietnam as well. Her life course was already set from these tragedies and rather than having them define her, she defined them.

In 1998 Patricia began the Starfish Center to help all individuals with emotional healing and in time the center became the non-profit, called The Starfish Foundation. Its mission is to support veterans programs that heal the emotional, moral and spiritual wounds of combat. They work together to guide the wounded to the peace that heals and strengthens their hearts.

Whether you are in LA, New York or anywhere in between people are good. Time and again I see those who take their pain and turn it into fuel to help others. That is a beautiful thing wherever you may be. Milwaukee was a great city and full of truly great people.

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Charity Matters Quotes August 5, 2013

Charity Matters Quotes

“Summer afternoon—summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.”

Henry James

Summer is quickly coming to an end and it is time to squeeze out every ounce of joy from this magical season.

Enjoy!

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Charity Matters Quotes August 2, 2013

Charity Matters Quotes

“Find what brings you joy and go there.”

Jan Phillips

With the chaos of remodeling it was time to go in search of a little joy, so I have been hiding out in my happy place….the lake. I hope this weekend you find whatever that place is for you and if you don’t, than I hope you go in search of what that is and enjoy!

Happy Friday!

Charity Matters.

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Raising Philanthropic Children July 31, 2013

Where do you come from?

I love telling other people’s stories. I am a story-teller. The story that I usually don’t tell is my own. After returning from my family reunion there are parts of my story that I think need to be shared. And that is where I come from.

Each week I talk about these remarkable individuals who start non-profits and change our world, share about raising philanthropic children and all things inspiring. I had never really taken inventory of where or how I learned these skills…..until I took a look at those who had modeled these for me.

The photo above is a picture of my grandparents, aunt and uncle advertising that they used War Bonds for WWII. Even then they were showing their young children what was important and a way to make a difference.

My grandmother was a huge part of my life and was giving communion to “the elderly” when she was in her late eighties and “the elderly” were in their early seventies. She raised seven children who learned from her example and all of them have given of themselves through their profession or service in remarkable ways. My aunts and uncles are teachers, addiction specialist, psychologist, military counselors for returning soldiers, nuns and my retired aunt feeds the homeless daily. Each of them has used their gifts to help others.

As a result my cousins and I have all followed suit in similar ways. People always ask me how to raise philanthropic children and the answer became very clear to me this past week. Be philanthropic. It is not about telling them, it is about showing your children through your actions what is important. Using your time and gifts to make another’s life better is the best way to show our children what true philanthropy is. It’s just that simple.

If you don’t feel you have done this yet, the beauty is that it is never too late to start. So take a look at your family tree and ask your self, “Where do I come from?” My guess is from some pretty remarkable people.

Charity Matters.

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